Let’s be honest: most of us use our iPhones for the same five things every day. We check emails, scroll through social media, send text messages, take photos of our pets, and maybe check the weather. But holding an iPhone is like holding a Ferrari that you never drive out of second gear. Underneath that sleek glass screen lies a powerhouse of features designed to make your life easier, faster, and a little bit more magical.
Apple is notorious for burying its coolest features deep within the Settings menu. Unless you read technical manuals for fun, you’ve probably missed some of the best tools iOS has to offer. Whether you want to type faster, organize your life better, or just impress your friends at dinner, we have rounded up the best "secret" tricks that will change the way you use your device.
Grab your phone, unlock your screen, and let’s dive into the features you didn’t know you needed.
1. The "Secret Button" on the Back of Your Phone
Did you know the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone isn't just for branding? It can actually function as a customizable button. This feature, known as "Back Tap," allows you to double-tap or triple-tap the back of your phone to trigger specific actions. It uses the accelerometer to detect the tap, and it works surprisingly well—even through most phone cases.
Imagine being able to take a screenshot without fumbling for the side buttons, or instantly launching your flashlight when walking into a dark room. You can even set it to launch a specific app, like your camera or Spotify.
Pro Tip: If you find yourself accidentally triggering this feature while holding your phone, try assigning your action to the "Triple Tap" setting only. It requires a much more intentional gesture than the double tap.
How to set it up:
- Open Settings and tap on Accessibility.
- Select Touch.
- Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Back Tap.
- Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
- Select the action you want (e.g., Screenshot, Flashlight, Control Center).
2. The Hidden Trackpad for Precision Editing
We have all been there: you type a long paragraph and realize you made a typo in the middle of the second sentence. You try to tap your finger exactly where the error is, but your finger is too big, and the cursor lands three words away. You tap again. You miss again. It is incredibly frustrating.
Stop tapping at the screen! Your iPhone keyboard has a built-in trackpad that turns your cursor into a precision instrument, similar to a mouse on a computer. This is arguably the single most useful text-editing trick on the iPhone, yet so many users are still doing the "tap and pray" method.
How to use it:
- Open any app where you can type (Messages, Notes, Email).
- Press and hold down the Spacebar.
- Wait a split second until the letters on the keyboard turn gray/blank.
- Without lifting your finger, slide it around the keyboard area. You will see the cursor on your text move in perfect sync with your thumb.
- Drop the cursor exactly where you need to edit and let go.
3. Stop Typing Your Email Address (Text Replacement)
How many times a week do you type out your full email address? Or your home address? Or a specific set of hashtags for Instagram? If the answer is "too many to count," you are wasting precious time. The iPhone has a feature called Text Replacement that allows you to create short codes that automatically expand into longer phrases.
For example, you can set it up so that every time you type "@@", your phone automatically replaces it with "name@example.com". Or, if you type "omw", it expands to "On my way! see you soon." It is a massive time-saver for things you type repeatedly.
How to create your own shortcuts:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Tap Text Replacement.
- Tap the + (plus) sign in the top right corner.
- In the Phrase field, type the long version (e.g., your full email address).
- In the Shortcut field, type the short code (e.g., "eml" or "@@").
- Hit Save.
4. Pull Text Directly From the Real World (Live Text)
In the past, if you wanted to save a recipe from a magazine or capture a phone number from a billboard, you had to type it out manually or take a picture and hope you remembered to look at it later. With a feature called Live Text, your iPhone camera acts as a scanner that can read, copy, and paste text from the physical world into your digital one.
This is incredibly useful for travelers. If you are at a restaurant in a foreign country, you can point your camera at the menu and translate the text instantly. Or, if you are at a conference, you can snap a photo of a presentation slide and copy the bullet points directly into your notes.
Note: This feature works on both live camera feeds and photos you have already taken and saved in your gallery.
Give it a try:
- Open your Camera app and point it at a book, a sign, or a document.
- Look for the Live Text icon (a small square with three lines inside) to appear in the corner of the viewfinder.
- Tap the icon. The image will freeze, and the text will be highlighted.
- Tap Copy All or select specific text to copy, look up, or translate.
5. The Instant "Sticker" Maker (Visual Look Up)
This is one of those features that feels like pure magic the first time you use it. Apple’s image processing is now smart enough to distinguish the subject of a photo (like a person, a dog, or a flower) from the background. You can literally "lift" the subject right out of the photo and drop it elsewhere.
Why is this useful? Aside from being fun, it’s a great way to create quick, transparent-background images for work presentations, or to make custom stickers of your pets to send in iMessage group chats. It eliminates the need for complex photo-editing software like Photoshop for simple cutout tasks.
How to do the magic lift:
- Open a photo in your Photos app that has a clear subject.
- Press and hold your finger on the subject (e.g., your dog).
- You will see a glowing shimmer run around the outline of the subject.
- Keep holding and use another finger to swipe out of the app and open Messages or Notes, then drop the image there.
- Alternatively, after the shimmer appears, let go and tap Copy in the pop-up menu, then paste it wherever you like.
Conclusion: Keep Exploring
The iPhone is packed with hundreds of these small "quality of life" improvements, but they often go unnoticed because we stick to our habits. By integrating just one or two of these tricks into your daily routine—like the spacebar trackpad or text replacement—you will save time and reduce friction in your digital life.
So, go ahead and set up that Back Tap right now. Your future self (who no longer has to fumble for the flashlight) will thank you!